§ MR. BRUNNER (Cheshire, Northwich)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in view of the decision of the House strictly to limit to eight hours per day the work underground of colliers, who work on an average not more than five days a week, he will give the House the best estimate he can form of the number of men working an average of 12 hours a day seven days a week, in the following trades: alkali works, other chemical works, bakeries, breweries, distilleries, blast furnaces, gas works, tinplate works, copper works, lead works, river steamers, and the carrying trades; and whether he proposes to include, or will consent to include, in the Factories and Workshops Bill, a provision taking power to regulate the hours of labour in all trades involving continuous work, day and night, Sundays and weekdays?
§ MR. ASQUITHThere do not exist materials on which to base a reliable 483 estimate of the nature demanded in the ease of industries within the province of my Department. Nor are there, I am informed, materials in the case of industries tinder the control of the Board of Trade. A loose estimate would, in my opinion, be worse than useless. As to the second paragraph of my hon. Friend's question, I must refer him to the Factory Bill, which I hope will be issued tomorrow.